I recently had a follow-up visit with a patient (who I will refer to as Linda) I have seen for the last 14 years. We were reviewing her lab work, which included a comprehensive thyroid panel that included the following markers:
When Linda first consulted with me, she had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The cause was Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT), an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks and damages the thyroid gland. As a result, people with HT are prone to thyroid hormone deficiency. Linda had been on synthetic thyroid replacement (e.g., Levoxyl, Synthroid) from another doctor and did not feel well. In addition, her thyroid peroxidase antibodies were over 1000 IU/ml (with a typical range being <9). Her TSH was normal but her Free T3 was on the low end of the range. At that time, I explained how Free T3 (triiodothyronine) is critical for helping metabolism, energy, mood, and other symptoms. I switched Linda to bioidentical thyroid replacement, which contained T4 and T3 in one capsule. From then on Linda noticed a significant improvement in her symptoms and her lab values optimized.
On her recent testing, her thyroid levels were optimal and her thyroid peroxidase antibodies were 35, a marked improvement from where she started. Linda commented that she did not tolerate synthetic thyroid medication and that bioidentical thyroid hormone replacement was a game changer for her health.
For people recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, I try to resolve their condition without medication using exercise, detoxification, and nutrition. This is more likely if the patient was recently diagnosed and the hypothyroidism is not severe. Many of the patients I see have had hypothyroidism and HT for years, so in their case, the best solution is to get them on the optimal natural thyroid dose that optimizes their health. There are various types of bioidentical thyroid available from regular and compounding pharmacies.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD, MS, is a bestselling author in private practice in Encinitas, California, at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine. His newsletter, Dr. Stengler’s Health Breakthroughs, is available at www.markstengler.com and his product line at www.drstengler.com
